The South South Football Stakeholders has vehemently rejected the 15 years ban placed on one of their sons, Victor Rumson Baribote, by the Nigeria Football Federation, declaring that the action amounted to witch-hunting of members of the zone.
The decision was reached in an extraordinary meeting of the body, which was held in Benin City, Edo State on Friday.
They noted that the process to ban Baribote was a hasty one and did not follow due process.
More so, they stressed that placing a ban on a man who is contributing so much to Nigeria’s football development as one of the few private owners of a premier league club is a total injustice to the nation’s football.
The South South Football Stakeholders maintained that henceforth they will resist any attempt by any group to intimidate them.
The body said its members are law abiding citizens of Nigeria who are not interested in looking for other people’s trouble.
According to other decisions reached at the meeting, they stressed that the people of the zone are law abiding citizens of the country, who have contributed immensely to Nigerian football in general, while arguing further that the zone deserves to be treated with respect with regard to how they treat their members.
The stakeholders said: “We are not against punishing of anybody who has contravened the law but we are insisting that in doing that it must follow all channel of due process before such punishment is meted out.
“We are proud of Baribote for sponsoring a premier league club in the country.
“We feel he should be applauded by those managing the nation’s football for given employment to several youths of this country and not to be crucified.”
Meanwhile, they showered encomium on the clubs from the zone for their performance in the last league season.
“After reviewing the performance of last season we commend the efforts of the club owners from the zone and the governors in the state for their continuous support of the club,” the stakeholders said.
The body charged all aggrieved members of the zone to come together in the fight to save the zone.
It maintained that it is only through that they can be able to withstand the seeming intimidation that is targeted at them.
They called for regular holding of the zonal meeting, especially as the NFF election draws near.
Finally, they charged their representatives in both the current NFF board and those that would emerge in the future to adequately take the interest of zone at heart.
Several top dignitaries from the zone graced the meeting.
Among them were the former Nigeria Premier League Chairman, Chief Oyuki Obaseki; the Edo State Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Omorede Osifo; the Commissioner for Sports in Rivers State, Barrister Fred Igwe; the Edo State Director of Sports, Betty Omoruyi; and the Chairmen of Bayelsa United, Nembe, Dolphin, and Sharks FC.
The others were Harrison Jala, Ben Agari, Colins Eselemo and several others.
South South rejects Baribote’s ban
